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Calendar No. 607. 

Congress, | SENATE. j Report 

I Session. \ (No. 676. 



BUREAU OF NATIONAL PARKS. 



April 26, 1912. — Ordered to be printed. 



Mr. Smoot, from the Committee on Public Lands, submitted the 

following 

REPORT. 

[To accompany S. 3463.] 

The Committee on Public Lands, to which was referred the bill 
(S. 3463) to establish a bureau of national parks, and for other piu"- 
poses, having given the same careful consideration, beg leave to recom- 
mend the following amendments: 

On page 1, line 4, strike out the words "bureau of national parks" 
and insert in lieu thereof the words '"national park service." 

On page 1, line 7, strike out the word "six" and insert in lieu 
thereof the word "five." 

On page 1, line 9, strike out the word "bureau" and insert the 
words "service an engineer at a salary of three thousand dollars per 
annum; an assistant attorney at a salary of three thousand dollars 
per annum, and." 

On page 2, line 7, strike out the words "biu'eau of national parks" 
and insert in lieu thereof the words "national park service." 

On page 2, line 11, strike out the words "bureau of national parks" 
and insert in lieu thereof the words "national park service." 

On page 2, line 19, after the word management, insert the word 
"use." 

On page 3, line 22, strike out the word "bureau" and insert in 
lieu thereof the word "service." 

At the end of the bill add the following: 

Sec. 6. That the parks, monumenti?, and reservations herein provided for shall not 
at any time be used in any way contrary to the purpose thereof as agencies for pro- 
moting public recreation and public health through the use and enjoyment by the 
people of such parks, monuments, and reservations, and of the natural scenery and 
objects of interest therein, or in any way detrimental to the value thereof for such 
purpose. 

Sec. 7. That the publications of the national park service shall be published in 
such editions as may be recommended by the Secretary of the Interior, but not to 
exceed 10,000 copies' for the first edition. 



2 BUEEAr OF NATIONAL PAEKS. 

Amend the title of the bill so as to read: ''To establish a national 
park service, and for other purposes." 

As thus amended, the committee recommends that the bill do pass. 

The committee deemed it advisable to accept the recommendation 
of the Secretary of the Interior that the name of the organization 
should be the national park service instead of bureau of national 
parks. This change was also urged by the American Civic Associa- 
tion. By inserting the word ' ' use " between the words ' ' management" 
and "care," in line 19, page 2 of the bill, it is thought that the pur- 
poses of section 4 of the bill will be made clearer. The proposed addi- 
tional section, designated as section 6, was earnestly recommended 
both by the Secretary of the Interior and by the American Civic Asso- 
ciation. This section defines clearly and definitely the purposes for 
wliich the public parks shall be maintained and aims to prohibit any 
uses which would be detrimental to these purposes. There is no pro- 
vision in the pending bill for the publications of the proposed bureau, 
and as the committee considers that the work of the bureau could be 
made more useful if allowed to disseminate proper information regard- 
ing the national parks, an amendment (sec. 7) making proper provision 
for publications is recommended. 

At the present time the administration of the national parks and 
monuments is scattered through three departments of the Govern- 
ment. It is the aim and object of the pending bill to bring the 
administration of the various parks and monuments under one head, 
thus substituting uniformity of law and administration for the 
present disorganized condition. With a more effective administra- 
tion of our national parks the people of the country will realize their 
value as recreation grounds and the number of visitors each year to 
the parks will increase very materially. Very little inducement is 
made to persons at the present time to visit our national parks, and 
hence a great many people, who otherwise would, fail to visit the 
parks. 

In a special message to Congress February 3, 1911, President Taft 
said: 

I earnestly recommend the establishment of a bureau of national parks. Such 
legislation is essential to the proper management of those wondrous manifestations of 
nature, so startling and so beautiful that everyone recognizes the obligations of the 
Government to preserve them for the edification and recreation of the people. 

The Secretary of the Interior, in his last annual report, made the 
following statement with regard to a bureau of national parks : 

There are 12 national parks, embracing over 4,500,000 acres, which have been set apart 
from time to time by Congress for the recreation of the people of the Nation. While 
public interest in, and use of, these reservations is steadily increasing, as shown by the 
growing number of visitors, adequate provision has not been made for their efficient 
administration, 'and sufficient appropriations have not been made for their proper care 
and development. At present each of these parks is a separate and distinct unit for 
administrative purposes. The only general supervision which is possible is that ob- 
tained by referring matters relating to the national parks to the same officials in the 
office of the Secretary of the Interior. Separate appropriations are made for each park, 
and the employment of a common supervising and directing force is impossible. Many 
of the problems in park management are the same throughout all of the national parks, 
and a great gain would be obtained and substantial economies could be effected if the 
national parks and reservations were grouped together under a single administrative 
bureau. Bills to create a bureau of national parks have heretofore been introduced 
in Congress, and in my judgment they should immediately receive careful considera- 
tion, so that proper legislation for this purpose may be enacted. Adequate appropria- 



■As 

1'*^ BUREAU OF NATIONAL PARKS. 3 

tion shouP ^so be made for the development of these pleasure grounds of the people, 
especially through the construction of roads and trails and their proper care and main- 
tenance. In several of the national parks there are large private holdings, which 
should be acquired by the Government. 

The Secretary of the Interior appeared before the committee on 
April 17, 1912, in support of the pending bill, and by letter, dated Feb- 
ruary 6, 1912, to the chairman of the committee, he approved of the 
legislation. 

Following is a list of the national parks and reservations, together 
wdth date of establishment of each, total acreage of each, and state- 
ments concerning them made by the Secretary of the Interior; 

NATIONAL PARKS AND RESERVATIONS. 

The policy of setting aside tracts of land in various sections of the United States aa 
pleasure grounds for the people was inaugurated by Congress by the act of March 1, 
1872, in establishing the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and thereafter from 
time to time other lands in various sections of the country were set aside for such 
purpose and as a practical means of preserving the wonders of nature therein from 
desecration. These reservations now aggregate 12 in number, embracing over 
4,500,000 acres, to which should be addecl the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River, 
with its awe-inspiring gorges, for the creation of which as a national park recommenda- 
tions have heretofore been submitted. 

The areas of these parks, with date of establishment of each, are as follows: 

Acres. 

Yellowstone, in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Mar. 1, 1872 2, 142, 720. 00 

Yosemite, in California, Oct. 1, 1890 719, 622. 00 

Sequoia, in California, Sept. 2.>, 1890 161, 597. 00 

General Grant, in California, Oct, 1, 1890 2, 536. 00 

Mount Rainier, in Washington, Mar. 2, 1899 207, 360. 00 

Crater Lake, in Oregon, May 22, 1902 159, 360. 00 

Wind Cave, in South Dakota, Jan. 9, 1903 10, 522. 00 

Sullys Hill, in North Dakota, Apr. 27, 1904 780. 00 

Piatt, in Oklahoma, July 1, 1902; Apr. 21, 1904 848.22 

Mesa Verde, in Colorado, June 29, 1906 42, 376. 00 

5-mile strip for protection of ruins, June 29, 1906 175, 360. 00 

Hot Springs Reservation, in Arkansas, June 16. 1880 911. 63 

Glacier, in Montana, May 11, 1910 981, 681. 00 

Total 4, 606, 153. 85 

Public interest in these national reservations, not only in this country, but abroad, 
is constantly increasing, as is indicated by the number of visitors thereto. During 
the past year the total number of visitors to all these parks aggregated approximately 
224,000, as against 198,506 in 1910. There is every reason to believe that travel thereto 
will be greatly augmented in the future, especially during 1915, when the Panama- 
Pacific international Exposition will be held in San Francisco^ and the various trans- 
continental roads will doubtless provide a transportation rate calculated to induce 
visitors to visit the various reservations as well as the exposition. 

For the purpose of bringing together the superintendents of the various parks, and 
discussing the many difficult problems presented in the administration of the affairs of 
each, a conference was held, under my direction, in the Yellowstone National Park, 
in September, 1911, at which there were in attendance in addition to myself, the 
Assistant Secretary, the chief clerk, and other representatives of this department, 
representatives of the Departments of Agriculture and War, the various transconti- 
nental railroads, and of concessionaires in the several reservations. Many phases of 
park administration were discussed, including hotel accommodations, public trans- 
portation, construction of roads, trails and bridges, fire protection, forestry, protection 
of game, and the enforcement of the park regulations generally, which, in the light of 
the information acquired, will doubtless result in more effective administration than 
it has heretofore been practicable to secure. The consensus of opinion, however, at 
this conference was that development of the national reservations should proceed 
along more liberal lines than has heretofore obtained, and that the supervision of the 
activities of the various parks should be centralized in a bureau especially charged 
with such work. 



4 BUEEAU OF NATIONAL PARKS. 

There is hereto appended tables giving; the location, date of establishment, area, 
private holdings, if any, the number of visitors, and the special characteristics of the 
various national parks under the supervision of the Secretary of the Interior; the appro- 
priations made by Congress for the protection and improvements thereof during 1911 
and for five years prior thereto, as well as the revenues derived from leases, privileges, 
and concessions in said reservations received during the said period. 

BIRD RESERVES. 

One new reserve for the protection of native wild birds was created during the year^ 
to wit, the Clear Lake Reservation, in California, which was set aside by Executive 
order of April 11, 1911. A number of these reservations lie within tracts reserved or 
set aside for purposes other than the protection of birds, such as reclamation with- 
drawals and naval reserves, but in all such cases the administration of the bird reser- 
vation is made subject to the use of the reservation imder the primary and more 
important segregation. The reservations now existing, which are being administered 
under the direction of the Biological Survey, Department of Agriculture, are 52 in 
number, a full table of which will be found in the appendix. 

The first law of Congress providing for the protection of bii-d reserves was approved 
June 28, 1906 (34 Stat., 536). This act made it unlawful to kill birds, to take their 
eggs, or willfully disturb birds upon the reservation, and provides a fine not exceeding 
1500 or imprisonment for not exceeding six months, or both fine and imprisonment 
for each conviction secured. This act was reenacted in the new penal code approved 
March 4, 1909 (35 Stat., 1104), in the following language: 

"Sec. 84. A\Tioever shall hunt, capture, willfully disturb, or kill any bird of any 
kind whatever, or take the eggs of any such bird, on any lands of the United States 
which have been set apart or reserved as breeding grounds for birds, by any law, 
proclamation, or Executive order, except under such rules and regulations as the Sec- 
retary of Agriculture may from time to time prescribe, shall be fined not more than 
five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than six months, or both." 

NATIONAL MONUMENTS AND PRESERVATION OF AMERICAN ANTIQUITIES. 

By an act approved June 8, 1906, entitled "An act for the preservation of American 
antiquities," the President of the United States is authorized, "in his discretion, to 
declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structm-es, 
and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated upon the lands 
owned or controlled by the Government of the United States to be national monu- 
ments." Under such authority the President has created the following monuments: 

National monnments administered by Interior Department. 



Name. 



Devils Tower , 

Montezuma Castle 

El Morro 

Chaco Canyon 

Muir Woods ' 

Pinnacles 

Tumacaeori 

Navajo ^ 

Mukiintuweap 

Shoshone Cavern 

Natural Bridges = 

Gran Qulvira 

Sitka 

Rainbow Bridge s 

Lewis and Clark Cavern j Montana 

Colorado I Colorado 

Petrified Forest i Arizona . 



Wyoming 

Arizona 

New Mexico.. 

....do 

California 

....do 

Arizona 

..--do 

Utah 

Wyoming 

Utah 

New Me-\ico.. 

Alaska 

Utah. 



Date. 



Sept. 24, 1906 
Dee. 8, 1906 

do 

Mar. 11,1907 
Jan. 9, 1908 
Jan. 16, 1908 
Sept. 15,1908 
Mar. 20,1909 
.July .31,1909 
Sept. 21, 1909 
Sept. 25,1909 
Nov. 1,1909 
Mar. 23,1910 
May .30,1910 
May 16,1911 
May 24,1911 
July .31,1911 



A cres. 

1,152 

160 

160 

20, 629 

295 

2 2,080 

10 

4 600 

2 15,840 

210 

2 2,740 

2 160 

257 

160 

160 

13,883 

25,625 



> Donated to the United States. 
' Estimated area. 

3 Within an Indian reservation. 

4 Based on l.i known ruins, with a reserved area of 40 acres surrounding each ruin. E.xleriur limits of 
tract specified in proclamation contain 918,310 acres. 

'•' Originally set aside by proclamation of Apr. 16, 1908, and contained onlv 120 acres. 



BUKEAU OF NATIONAL PARKS. 5 

The following regulations for the protection of national monument? were i)ronuil- 
-gated on November 19, 1910: 

1. Fires are absolutely prohibited. 

2. No firearms are allowed. 

3. No fishing permitted. 

4. Flowers, ferns, or shrubs must not be picked, nor may any damage be done to 
the trees. 

5. Vehicles and horses may be left only at the places designated for this purpose. 

6. Lunches may be eaten only at the spots marked out for such use, and all refuse 
and litter must be placed in the receptacles provided. 

7. Pollution of the water in any manner is prohibited; it must be kept clean enough 
for drinking purposes. 

8. No drinking saloon or barroom will be permitted. 

9. Persons rendering themselves obnoxious by disorderly conduct or bad behavior, 
or who may violate any of the foregoing rules, will be summarily removed. 

By proclamation of May 24, 1911, one new national monument under the depart- 
ment has been created during the year, designated as the Colorado National Monu- 
ment, Colorado. The lands embraced within this reservation are in part identical 
with those included within the boundaries of the Monument National Park proposed 
in H. R. 22549, introduced in the Sixty-first C'ongress, and which failed of passage. 
The monument, however, contains nearly 5,000 acres of land less than the area pro- 
posed to be segregated by the national-park bill. 

In the case of the Lewis and Clark Cavern Monument, Montana, set aside by proclama- 
tion of May 11, 1908, a new proclamation was issued on May 16, 1911, more specifically 
defining the boundaries thereof. 

The Pinnacles National Monument, California, was set aside by proclamation dated 
January 16, 1908, at which time it was under the supervision of the Secretary of Agri- 
culture, being within a national forest. By proclamation dated December 12, 1910, 
the lands on which this monument is located were eliminated from the national forest, 
and since that date it has been under supervision of the Secretary of the Interior. 

The Petrified Forest National Monument, Arizona, was originally set aside on De- 
cember 8, 1906, with an area of 60,776 acres. The definite location of the principal 
deposits of silicified wood was not known, the intention being to reduce the area after 
the lands could be examined and the location of the valuable deposits determined. 
During the year Dr. George P. Merrill, head curator of geology, National Museum, 
visited the reservation at the instance of this department and submitted a report 
thereon recommending the reduction of the metes and bounds of the reservation and 
suggesting the segregation of such portions thereof as are desirable for the use of col- 
lectors having permits under the act of June 8, 1908, to take specimens of silicified wood 
from the reservation. This report met with the approval of the department, and ac- 
cordingly on July 31, 1911, a new proclamation was issued reducing the area of the 
Petrified Forest National Monument to 25,625 acres. 

The supervision of these various monimients has, in the absence of any specific 
appropriation for their protection and improvements, necessarily been intrusted to 
the field officers of the department having charge of the territory in which the several 
monuments are located. This supervision in many instances is necessarily limited, 
and considerable difficulty has been experienced in protecting the monuments from 
vandalism, unauthorized exploration, and spoliation. It is recommended that ade- 
quate appropriation be made by Congress for the protection and improvement of 
these reservations, only such monuments as in the judgment of the Secretary of the 
Interior are subject to depredations by vandals and unauthorized collections on the 
part of the public to be provided with a custodian or superintendent. 



6 BUREAU OF NATIONAL PARKS. 

National monuments administered by Department of Agriculture . 



Name. 



Cinder Cone 

Lassen Peak 

Gila Cliff Dwellings. 

Tonto 

Grand Canyon 

Jewel Cave 

Wheeler 

Mount Olympus 

Oregon Caves 

Devils Postpile 



State. 



Date. 



California May 6,1907 

..do do 



New Mexico... 

Arizona 

do 

South Dakota. 

Colorado 

Washington... 

Oregon 

California 



Nov. 16,1907 
Dec. 19,1907 
Tan. 11, 1908 



Feb. 
Dec. 
Mar. 
July 
Julv 



,1908 

17. 1908 
2, 1909 

12. 1909 
6,1911 



1 Estimated area. 



National monument administered by War Department. 



Name. 



Big Hole Battlefield. 



State. 



Montana . 



Date. 



1 



Area. 



June 23,1910 



1 Set aside by E.xecutive order. 



Acres. 

1 5, 120 

I 1,280 

160 

1 640 

'806,400 

1 1,280 

300 

1608,640 

480 

800 



Area. 



Acres. 



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